Magic Johnson Steps In to Rescue Los Angeles Sparks

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Magic Johnson, a new co-owner of the Los Angeles Sparks, with the former Spark Lisa Leslie.CreditNick Ut/Associated Press

By Joseph D’Hippolito

Feb. 5, 2014

LOS ANGELES — More than three decades after guiding the Los Angeles Lakers from mediocrity to excellence, and nearly two years after helping purchase the bankrupt Los Angeles Dodgers, Magic Johnson rescued another local team.

Johnson and Mark Walter, the chairman of the Dodgers, bought the W.N.B.A.’s Los Angeles Sparks, the league and team announced Wednesday at Staples Center.

The Sparks are one of the W.N.B.A.’s founding franchises and home to some of the league’s greatest players. Lisa Leslie spent her W.N.B.A. career with the Sparks, won league championships with them in 2001 and 2002, and finished her career as the W.N.B.A.’s career leading scorer. Candace Parker joined the Sparks in 2008 and has won the league’s Most Valuable Player award twice.

“I love the Sparks; I was at the first game,” Johnson said of the 1997 game against the Liberty that marked the W.N.B.A.’s debut. “I had three sisters who played. Mark has a daughter who plays right now, and my daughter played for two years. We love women’s basketball already. This is a no-brainer for us.”

Paula Madison, the Sparks’ majority owner since 2007, told league officials in December that her company could no longer afford to operate the franchise.

Madison said that the Sparks never made a profit after $12 million was invested in the team and that she expected the Sparks to lose more than $1 million this coming season. On Dec. 31, Madison laid off the entire staff, including Coach Carol Ross, who signed a contract extension Dec. 5, and General Manager Penny Toler.

“We bought the team because we feel we can turn it around,” Johnson said. “We knew what we were up against before we bought the team. But we’re aggressive businessmen and aggressive investors, so we know we can make some things happen to improve the bottom line.”

The sale to Johnson and Walter ends five weeks of speculation that the Sparks would fold or move to the Bay Area. Joe Lacob, owner of the Golden State Warriors, had interest in the Sparks, saying last month, “It’s been sort of a dream of ours to have a W.N.B.A. franchise.”

Johnson said he and Walter were the last, best hope to keep the Sparks in Los Angeles.

“The team was leaving,” Johnson said. “It was very close. We came in at the 11th hour, and I think we were the last ones. If we don’t come in and make a deal, I think it was gone. We wanted to keep the team in L.A. I’m glad we were able to save it.”

Laurel Richie, the W.N.B.A. president, said the new owners brought “the resources, the business savvy, the tentacles into the community, the love of the game” that the team needed.

“The fact that we were able to find all of those qualities and stay in L.A., I couldn’t be happier,” she said.

Johnson said he would reinstate Ross and Toler and would make no changes until after the season, which begins in May.

Johnson added that the Sparks would continue to play at Staples Center, home of the Lakers and the Clippers. The Sparks’ lease expired after last season.

The Sparks, the Liberty and the Phoenix Mercury are the only founding W.N.B.A. teams still operating in their original cities. Four of the eight teams — the Houston Comets, the Cleveland Rockers, the Charlotte Sting and the Sacramento Monarchs — have folded. A fifth, the Utah Starzz, moved to San Antonio in 2003.

Despite the Sparks’ financial problems, Johnson expressed optimism and requested that fans be patient with him and Walter.

“I wish we were starting with a clean slate,” Johnson said. “But we knew what we’re stepping into. It’s going to take a little while, but we’re happy where we’re at. We know what we have to do.”

A version of this article appears in print on , on Page B18 of the New York edition with the headline: Next Up for Johnson: W.N.B.A. Team Owner. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe